Toner, image forming apparatus, image forming method, and process cartridge

Abstract

A toner, including: a binder resin; and a colorant, wherein the binder resin contains: a crystalline polyester resin (A); a non-crystalline resin (B); and a composite resin (C), where the composite resin (C) contains a condensation polymerization resin unit and an addition polymerization resin unit, wherein the toner contains chloroform insoluble matter in an amount of 1% by mass to 30% by mass, wherein the toner has a molecular weight distribution having a main peak in a range of 1,000 to 10,000 and a half width of 15,000 or less, where the molecular weight distribution is obtained through gel permeation chromatography (GPC) of tetrahydrofuran soluble matter of the toner, and wherein the toner has an endothermic peak in a range of 90° C. to 130° C. in measurement through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A toner, comprising:
 a binder resin; and 
 a colorant, 
 wherein the binder resin comprises: a crystalline polyester resin (A); a non-crystalline resin (B); and a composite resin (C), where the composite resin (C) comprises a condensation polymerization resin unit and an addition polymerization resin unit, 
 the non-crystalline resin (B) is present in an amount of 60 to 95% by mass, 
 wherein the toner comprises chloroform insoluble matter in an amount of 1% by mass to 30% by mass, 
 wherein the toner has a molecular weight distribution having a main peak in a range of 1,000 to 10,000 and a half width of 15,000 or less, where the molecular weight distribution is obtained through gel permeation chromatography (GPC) of tetrahydrofuran soluble matter of the toner, 
 wherein the toner has an endothermic peak in a range of 90° C. to 130° C. in measurement through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and 
 wherein composite resin (C) acts to lessen reduction of both heat resistance storageability and electrical resistance due to the combination of crystalline polyester resin (A) and non-crystalline resin (B). 
 
     
     
       2. The toner according to  claim 1 , wherein an endothermic amount in the endothermic peak is 1 J/g to 15 J/g. 
     
     
       3. The toner according to  claim 1 , wherein the toner comprises the chloroform insoluble matter in an amount of 2% by mass to 20% by mass. 
     
     
       4. The toner according to  claim 1 , further comprising a fatty acid amide compound. 
     
     
       5. The toner according to  claim 1 , further comprising a salicylic acid metal compound. 
     
     
       6. The toner according to  claim 1 , wherein the crystalline polyester resin (A) comprises an ester bond represented by the following General Formula (1) in a molecular backbone thereof:
   —[OCO—R—COO—(CH 2 ) n ]—  General Formula (1)
 
 where R represents a C2-C20 linear, unsaturated, aliphatic, divalent carboxylic acid residue, and n is an integer of 2 to 20. 
 
     
     
       7. The toner according to  claim 1 , wherein the condensation polymerization resin unit of the composite resin (C) is a polyester resin unit and the addition polymerization resin unit of the composite resin (C) is a vinyl resin unit. 
     
     
       8. The toner according to  claim 1 , further comprising an external additive, wherein the external additive is an inorganic compound having an average primary particle diameter of 40 nm to 160 nm. 
     
     
       9. The toner according to  claim 1 , wherein the non-crystalline resin (B) comprises a polyester resin. 
     
     
       10. The toner according to  claim 1 , wherein crystalline polyester resin (A) is present in an amount of 1 to 15% by mass; and the composite resin (C) is present in an amount of 3 to 20% by mass. 
     
     
       11. The toner according to  claim 1 , wherein the composite resin (C) comprises a polyester unit as the condensation polymerization resin unit and a vinyl resin unit as the addition polymerization resin unit. 
     
     
       12. The toner according to  claim 1 , wherein crystalline polyester resin (A) has a softening temperature of 80 to 130° C. 
     
     
       13. The toner according to  claim 1 , wherein the composite resin (C) has a softening temperature of 90 to 130° C. 
     
     
       14. The toner according to  claim 1 , wherein the molecular weight distribution has a main peak in a range of 1,200 to 9,000 and the half width is 14,000 or less. 
     
     
       15. The toner according to  claim 1 , wherein the toner comprises the chloroform insoluble matter in an amount of 3% by mass to 20% by mass. 
     
     
       16. The toner according to  claim 1 , wherein the non-crystalline resin (B) contributes to the chloroform insoluble matter amount of the toner. 
     
     
       17. A toner, comprising:
 a binder resin; and 
 a colorant, 
 wherein the binder resin comprises: a crystalline polyester resin (A); a non-crystalline resin (B); and a composite resin (C), where the composite resin (C) comprises a condensation polymerization resin unit and an addition polymerization resin unit, 
 wherein the non-crystalline resin (B) is present in an amount of 60 to 95% by mass, 
 wherein the condensation polymerization resin unit is obtained from one of the following monomer mixtures (1), (2) or (3): (1) a polyhydric alcohol and a polyhydric carboxylic acid, (2) a polyvalent carboxylic acid, and an amine or an amino acid, or (3) any combination of (1) and (2), 
 wherein the addition polymerization resin unit is obtained from a vinyl monomer, 
 wherein the toner comprises chloroform insoluble matter in an amount of 1% by mass to 30% by mass, 
 wherein the toner has a molecular weight distribution having a main peak in a range of 1,000 to 10,000 and a half width of 15,000 or less, where the molecular weight distribution is obtained through gel permeation chromatography (GPC) of tetrahydrofuran soluble matter of the toner, and 
 wherein the toner has an endothermic peak in a range of 90° C. to 130° C. in measurement through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). 
 
     
     
       18. The toner according to  claim 17 , wherein the non-crystalline resin (B) contributes to the chloroform insoluble matter amount of the toner. 
     
     
       19. A toner, comprising:
 a binder resin; and 
 a colorant, 
 wherein the binder resin comprises: a crystalline polyester resin (A); a non-crystalline resin (B); and a composite resin (C), where the composite resin (C) comprises a condensation polymerization resin unit and an addition polymerization resin unit, 
 wherein the non-crystalline resin (B) is a polyester resin, a styrene-acrylic acid ester copolymer, or a combination of both, and is present in an amount of 60 to 95% by mass, 
 wherein the toner comprises chloroform insoluble matter in an amount of 1% by mass to 30% by mass, 
 wherein the toner has a molecular weight distribution having a main peak in a range of 1,000 to 10,000 and a half width of 15,000 or less, where the molecular weight distribution is obtained through gel permeation chromatography (GPC) of tetrahydrofuran soluble matter of the toner, and 
 wherein the toner has an endothermic peak in a range of 90° C. to 130° C. in measurement through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). 
 
     
     
       20. The toner according to  claim 19 , wherein the non-crystalline resin (B) contributes to the chloroform insoluble matter amount of the toner.